Liquefied petroleum flood light



April 2s, 1964 w. w. LEE 3,130,569

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM FLOOD LIGHT Filed Dec. 26, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 28, 1964 w. w. LEE

LIOOEFIEO PETROLEUM FLOOD LIGHT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26, 1961 ma @QW/kwh?,

April 28, 1964 w. w. LEE

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM FLOOD LIGHT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Deo. 26, 1961 INV EN TOR. h/zZla'aw; ML ee United States Patent M 3,136,569 LEQUEFED PETRLEUM FLOOD LIGHT William W. Lee, 845 N. Humphrey Ave., Oak Park, Ill. il' ed Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 162,031 6 Claims. (Cl. 67--8S) The present invention relates to flood lights and has special reference to ood lights operating on liquefied petroleum gas under high pressure.

More particularly this invention relates to a high efliciency flood light operating on butane or propane gas or mixtures thereof at pressures of from one to fifteen p.s.1.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application Serial No. 76,004, which is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 657,- 934, which is a continuation-in-part of my prior applications Serial No. 508,937 and Serial No. 618,595, now all abandoned.

The present ood light automatically and without any adjustment being necessary mixes the liquefied petroleum gas with air at the proper ratio of twenty parts of air to one of the gas and supplies it to the burner through a fuel supply pipe.

The fuel supply pipe extends downwardly from, or to one side of, the burner located at the center of the ood light so as to prevent excessive heating of the fuel mixture in the fuel supply pipe before it is discharged into the burner mantle.

The burner of the present invention includes a central hollow spigot at the end of the fuel supply line with a mantle thereabout attached at its outer end to the spigot and at its inner end to the burner body. The mantle being thus supported at both ends will withstand shock and vibration without injury thereto. The fuel mixture is supplied to the interior of the mantle both longitudinally through openings connecting the fuel supply to the interior of the mantle about the base or inner end of the burner spigot and laterally toward the sides of the mantle from openings in the sides of the hollow spigot intermediate the ends of the mantle.

With this arrangement the fuel mixture is supplied to all portions of the area within the mantle to result in even burning of the mixture within the mantle, and without the ame being forced outwardly through any portion of the mantle. ln addition, the air-gas mixture passing through the hollow spigot automatically maintains the spigot at a temperature sufficiently below that in the mantle thereabout to prevent injury to the spigot. The present construction also prevents preignition of the fuel mixture which might otherwise occur due to overheating of the fuel supply line or burner.

While mantles supported at both ends are highly resistant to shock and vibration, they are occasionally broken by operators such as during lighting or in the process of being burned olf. When this occurs and a hole is formed in a mantle opposite one of the openings in the spigot, a jet of dame may be projected through the break in the mantle and against the glass cover or lens of the lamp resulting in breaking the glass due to thermal shock. To prevent such glass breakage, one form of the present invention is provided with a sleeve or skirt portion about the spigot overlying and slightly spaced from the openings in the spigot. The sleeve intercepts the gases and flame directed outwardly from the spigot openings and results in relatively even diffusion of the gases and flame in the mantle.

The present flood light which is capable of producing illumination in excess of 15,000 mean rellected candle power is portable and may be moved about from place to place as needed. lt is also adjustably mounted on its base so that the light therefrom may be directed as de- 3,130,569 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 ICC sired. The flood light is therefore particularly suitable for use on construction jobs and other places where electricity is not available or power lines running to the light would be undesirable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liqueiied petroleum gas flood light of very high candle power and efficiency.

Another object is to provide such a flood light which is portable and will withstand hard, rough usage.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a liquefied petroleum gas tiood light which acts automatically to mix air with the gas to produce the desired mixture of 20 parts of air to 1 part of gas.

A further object is to provide a mantle burner in which the mantle may be fixedly secure to the burner at both its inner and outer ends so as to avoid mantle breakage.

An additional object is to provide a ood light burner having a hollow central post or spigot closed at its outer end which is prevented by the air-gas mixture passing therethrough from being heated to an excessive temperature by the flame thereabout.

A further object is to provide a flood light burner construction in which the fuel supply line is prevented from excessive heating.

Still another object is to provide a burner that is not subject to backre when gas supply is shut off.

An additional object is to provide a burner wherein glass breakage due to thermal shock is prevented despite one or more breaks in the mantle.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following descriptions and claims when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a ood light embodying the present invention with a portion of the glass cover broken away;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the ilood light illustrated in FIG. l with certain parts thereof shown in elevation.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partially in cross section, of a portion of the flood light shown in FIG. 1, also showing the fuel supply line, needle valve and mixing chamber;

FIG. 4 is a central vertical cross-sectional View of the flood-light burner;

FIG. 5 is a central Vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5 5 of FiG. 4; and

FlG. 6 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of a modified form of burner.

FG. 7 is a central, vertical cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4, of a modified type of burner in which a skirt portion overlies the openings in the side of the spigot; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational View of the spigot and skirt shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FiGS. l and 2, there is shown a liquefied petroleum flood light embodying the present invention. The flood light is intended for use with liquid petroleum gas, namely, propane, butane or combinations thereof. Other equivalent gases may also be employed. The gas is supplied to the flood light burner under high pressure of from one to fifteen p.s.i. While pressures above fteen p.s.i. may be employed, this excessive pressure results only in less eiiicient operation in that the amount of light does not increase with the additional gas supplied although the temperature within the mantle increases. If the pressure is substantially more than fifteen p.s.i., the flame may be forced outwardly through the mantle and the candle power of the light produced actually decreased.

The present lamp comprises a casing il having a pair of mounting ears l2 on opposite sides thereof adjustably supported on the upper ends 13 of a yoke. The yoke is carried on a base, not shown, which is preferably provided with suitable wheels so that it may be readily moved about. Yoke knobs 14 extend through openings provided therefor in the upper ends 13 of the yoke and thread into the ears l2 to provide adjustable positioning of the Hood light about a horizontal axis as illustrated, for example, by dotted lines in FIG. 2. A preferably parabolic reflector 15 having a substantially cylindrical front portion is mounted in the lamp casing ll. A door le hingedly connected to the lamp casing by a hinge ll7 is provided with a shatterproof front cover or glass 13 held in the door by a ring 19. Any suitable latching means may be provided for maintaining the door i6 in tightly closed position.

An opening is provided in the top of the casing ll in which is positioned a chimney or stack 2l having a cap 22 thereon. The upper end of the chimney is provided with a number of slots 23 through which heated air may escape from the interior of the casing.

Fuel under high pressure is supplied to the lamp from a tank, not shown, containing liquid butane or propane under suihcient pressure to maintain the fuel liquefied. The tank is preferably mounted on the light base so the light and tank may be moved about as a self-contained unit.

The fuel is fed through a supply line 24 to a needle valve 25 having an operating handle Z6. From the needle valve the gas ilovvs through the passageway 27 to the tubular portion or mixing chamber 23 where the gas is mixed with air in the proper proportions. The mixing chamber 23 is preferably cylindrical and in the device illustrated is approximately one inch in inside diameter. A plurality of openings 29 are provided in the sides of the mixing chamber to permit the entrance of air into the chamber. In the particular embodiment illustrated, four air holes 29 are provided, each of which is circular and one-half inch in diameter.

Positioned in the base 31 of the mixing chamber is a nozzle 32 having a small opening .0135 inch in diameter, which is the size produced by a No. 80 drill. rThe nozzle communicates with the passageway 27 and the gas passing through the opening is forced axially through the mixing chamber at high velocity. The discharge tip of the nozzle is positioned above the bottom of the air inlet openings 29 at a distance equal to about one-eighth or 121/2 percent of the height of the openings 29.

The mixing chamber thus described acts as an aspirator. The gas projected through the nozzle opening will pick up suicient air to result in an air-gas f' el mixture of twenty parts of air to one part of gas. This action is automatic, and mixing in the proper proportions of 20 to l takes place irrespective of the gas pressure so long as the pressure thereof at the supply side of the nozzle is within the range of one to fifteen p.s.i. In order to insure a uniform supply of air through the openings 29 in the mixing chamber, a cap 33 is positioned about the mixing chamber with an opening 34 in the bottom thereof of sulicient size to permit an ample supply of air within the cap at all times. The cap prevents air currents and turbulence about the mixing chamber which might have a detrimental eect upon the uniform supply of air to provide the desired 20-to-l air-gas mixture The combustible air-gas mixture is conveyed from the mixing chamber to the ilood light burner through a fuel supply tube 35 which projects upwardly from the securing member 35a on the bottom of the casing ll through openings in the bottom of the iiood light casing 11 and reector 15. This fuel supply tube 35 in the embodiment shown may have an internal diameter of approximately one-half inch.

A burner body 36 is threaded onto the upper end of the fuel supply tube or secured thereon in any other suitable way. The burner body 35 has a central chamber or passageway 37 with a reduced opening 37a at the upper end thereof in which is threaded the burner spigot 38. A

series of small pasageways 39 positioned about the opening 37a extend generally longitudinally of the burnerbody from the upper end of the burner body to the central chamber 37. The passages 39 are quite small and may be on the order of one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. As shown particularly in FIG. 5, they are preferably arranged in two concentric circles about the base of the spigot 3S.

The spigot 38 extends a distance above the burner base 36 and is hollow except for its upper end. The solid upper end of the spigot 3S is provided with a groove for receiving the outer or upper end of a mantle 4l which is ixedly secured thereto. The lower or inner end of the mantle, as illustrated particularly in FIG. 4, is positioned in an annular groove provided in the upper portion of the burner base 36 being iixedly held in this position. The mantle 4l in the device illustrated is a 500 candle power mantle of nylon or other suitable woven fabric. With both the inner and outer ends of the mantle fixedly secured to the spigot and burner base, respectively, the mantle is iixedly held in proper position and can withstand considerable jarring and vibration as occurs in its normal use without injury thereto.

The spigot 3S is provided with a series of openings 42 through the sides thereof preferably about halfway between the inner and outer ends of the mantle when positioned on the burner. In the particular iiood light illustrated there are four of these openings preferably threeeighths of an inch in diameter. For best results the combined area of all the openings 42 and passages 39 should be about equal to that of the fuel supply tube 35, and the area of all openings 42 should be about one-half the area of all the passages 39. Approximately twothirds of the combustible mixture will then pass through the passages 39 into the interior of the mantle, and approximately one-third of the fuel mixture will llow through the passageway in the center of the spigot 38 and out through the holes 42 into the interior of the mantle. With this arrangement, the combustible mixture is supplied substantially uniformly throughout the interior of the mantle resulting in maximum intensity of the light produced by the combustion of the air-gas mixture substantially uniformly over the mantle.

By providing a hollow spigot through which a portion of the combustible mixture passes, the spigot is cooled sufficiently to prevent any Vinjury to the spigot. At maximum eliiciency a flood light of the type described herein consumes 3.7 cubic feet of gas an hour. At this rate the air-gas mixture supplied to the burner will be more than cubic feet an hour. The spigot is thus maintained at a temperature substantially below that in the mantle thereabout where the flame temperature may be as high as 3600 F., and it is possible to use materials for the spigot, such as brass, which have a melting point below the temperature in the mantle thereabout.

In order to prevent backfires when the combustible mixture is shut olf at the needle valve, which otherwise might occur because the liqueiied petroleum gas is heavier than air, a line wire mesh screen 43 is positioned in the burner base which conveniently may be at the point of connection between the fuel supply line 35 and the burner base 36. This enables the gas above the screen to be completely consumed without igniting the gas below the screen in the fuel supply tube.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a -modied form of construction embodying the lattachment of the spigot 3S to the burner body 36. In this construction a perforated plate 47 fixed to the lower end of the spigot is rigidly secured to the upper end of the burner body 36 and serves as a portion thereof. The burner body in this `arrangement is formed with the central chamber extending to the perforated plate 47 in ythe upper end of the burner body. The operation of this form of construction is the same 'as that with respect to the arrangement shown in FIG. 4. The openings in the plate 47 are preferably of such as size that approximately two-thirds of Ithe air-gas mixture in the central opening of the burner base 36 will pass therethrough into the mantle generally longitudinally thereof, while approximately one-third of the mixture will ilow through the hollow spigot and be discharged laterally through the openings 43.

In order to prevent glass breakage caused by thermal shock to the glass cover in the lamp, which may result from a ruptured mantle, the modiiied spigot construction illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be employed. The construction there shown comprises a sleeve or shield 51 secured by a presure iit or any other suitable means to the upper end of the spigot 3S below the upper mantle-receiving portion thereof. rllhe sleeve extends downwardly a suliicient distance to overlie the spigot holes 42 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The inner portion of the sleeve 51 is cut out at its lower end to provide an annular chamber 52 open at the bottom. In the particular construction shown the width of the space between the spigot and the surrounding sleeve may be about one-sixteenth inch.

The gas discharged through the openings 42 enters the annular chamber formed by the sleeve 51 and escapes through the bottom of this chamber, for admixture with the gas discharged upwardly about the spigot through the openings 39. With :the construction shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 breakage of the glass or lens due to flame and hot gases being projected through holes in the mantle is eliminated resulting in an ood light capable of withstanding unusually rough treatment for long periods of time.

It is advisable yto provide means for the dissipation of heat from the interior of the lamp. For this purpose, air inlet openings, 44 may be provided in the bottom of the lamp in front of the reiiector, preferably in the door 16, and openings 43 may be provided in the lower rear part of lthe casing. A large opening 45 may also be provided in the upper portion of the reiiector below the chimney 2l. This permits circulation of air through the interior of the lamp on both sides of the reflector, the air entering through the openings 44 and 4S and escaping through the opening 45 and chimney 2l.

The butane or propane gases, or admixtures of the two, used in the present ood light, have an ignition tempera- -ture of about l000 F. and a maximum flame temperature of around 3600 F. Maximum efficiency is -achieved with the gas under pressure of l5 p.s.i., at which pressure the gas consumption is 3.7 cubic feet per hour and the B.t.u. input is over 9000.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modiiications may be made, and it is contemplated, thereore, by the appended claims, to cover any modifications that come within the true scope of this invention.

I claim:

l. A burner lfor a liqueed petroleum gas burning iiood light comprising a main body having a passageway therein for connection to a conduit through which fa combustible mixture of `liquelied petroleum gas and air may be supplied under pressure, said -body having a tubular portion closed `at its outer end extending [from said body and communicating with said passageway, said body having a portion at its outer end provided with openings about said 'tubular portion and in communication with said passageway vfor directing a portion of said gaseous mixture trom said passageway about and in a ydirection generally longitudinally of said Itubular portion, said tubular portion having openings in the sides thereof for the discharge of a portion of said gaseous mixture, said tubular portion having a shield positioned thereabout opposite and spaced from the part of said tubular portion having said openings therein, said shield having a portion thereof extending downwardly over and below the said openings in the sides of said tubular portion, and the said 5 burner having provision for attachment thereto of a mantle positioned about said tubular portion and the outer end of said main body portion into which said gaseous mixture may flow from said passageway through the openings in said main Ibody and said tubular portion and outwardly toward the said shield and thence downwardly toward the bottom or said mantle.

2. A burner for a liquefied petroleum gas burning flood light comprising a main body having a passageway for connection to a conduit 4through which a combustible mixture of liqueed petroleum gas and `air may be supplied under pressure, said body having a tubular portion closed at its outer end extending from said body and communicating with said passageway, said body having a portion at its outer end provided with openings about said tubular portion and in communication with said passageway for directing a portion of said gaseous mixture from said passageway about and in a direction generally longitudinally of said tubular portion, said tubular portion having openings in the sides thereof for the discharge of a portion of said gaseous mixture, said tubular portion having a generally cylindrical-shaped sleeve secured thereto above the openings therein and extending downwardly over said openings, said sleeve being spaced from the part of said tubular portion having said openings therein to permit the gaseous mixture to pass outwardly through said openings, said shield having a portion thereof extending downwardly 4over and below the said openings in the sides of said tubular portion, and the said burner having provision for attachment thereto of la mantle positioned about said tubular portion land the outer end of said main body portion into which said gaseous mixture may flow trom said passageway through the openings in said main body and said =tubular portion and outwardly toward the said shield and 'thence downwardly toward the bottom of said mantle.

3. A burner for a liquefied petroleum gas burning flood light comprising a main body having a passageway for connection to `a conduit through which a combustible mixture of liquefied petroleum gas and air may be supplied under pressure, said body having a 'tubular portion closed at its outer end extending from said body and communicating with said passageway, said body having ya portion at its outer end provided with openings about said tubular portion and in communication with said passageway for directing a portion of said gaseous mixture from said passageway about and in a direction generally longitudinally of said tubular portion, said tubular portion having openings in the sides thereof for the discharge of a portion of said gaseous mixture, said tubular portion having a sleeve secured thereto above the openings therein 'and said sleeve having a lower end portion extending downwardly over and being spaced from said `openings to form an annular chamber open at the bottom about said opening, and the said burner having provision for attachment thereto of a mantle positioned about said tubular portion and the outer end of said main body portion into which said gaseous mixture may -ow from said passageway through the -openings in said main body and said tubular portion .into said chamber and thence downwardly toward the bottom of said mantle.

4. A hood light burner for use -with air-fuel mixture composed of liquefied petroleum gas and air and comprising a main body member having an air-fuel mixture passageway therethrough having .an open lower end portion adapted to be connected to a conduit supply line for supplying the said yair-fuel mixture under pressure -to the said air-fuel mixture passageway, said main body member having an open upper end portion, a ltubular member carried by the said main body member and adapted to have a mantle arranged .therearound and having a closed upper end portion and having an 4open lower end portion in communication with the said open upper end portion of said main body member, said main body member including a side wall having openings therein having communioation at one end with the said air-fuel mixture passageway and having communication at their other ends with the interior of the said mantle -for directing a portion of the air-fuel mixture from the said air-fuel passageway upwardly into the said mantle, said tubular memlber having openings in the sides thereof in communication with the said air-fuel mixture passageway and disposed above the upper ends of the said openings in the said side wall of said main body member, and a shield member .arranged about the upper e-nd portion of said tubular member and having a `lower end portion extending downwardly over and below and spaced slightly from the said openings in the sides of said tubular member whereby a portion of said `air-fuel mixture will ow from the said air-fuel passageway through the said openings in the said side wall of said main body member upwardly into body of said mantle outwardly of the said tubular member and another portion of the said air-fuel mixture will flow from the said tubular member through .the said openings in the sides thereof against the said shield member and will be deflected thereby downwardly toward the bottom of said mantle for admixture with a portion of the said air-fuel mixture directed upwardly into the said mantle from the said openings in the said side wall of said mai-n body member.

5. A ood light burner as dened in claim 3 in which the said shield member has a cut-out lower end pontion providing a chamber `disposed about and in communication with the said openings in the said sides of said tubular member.

6. A flood light burner 'as defined in claim 3 in which the said shield member has a cut-out lower end portion providing a Chamber disposed about and in communication with the said openings in the said sides of said tubular member, and in which the said chamber has an open lower end portion disposed below the said openings in the sides of said tubular member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,020 Popp Aug. 14, 1883 681,052 Harris Aug. 20, 1901 692,441 Griin Feb. 4, 1902 842,259 Shaw Ian. 29, 1907 1,875,394 Richford Sept. 6, 1932 2,344,400 Ehnbom Mar. 14, 1944 2,841,694 Webster July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,056 Great Britain 1903 27,205 Great Britain 1898 

1. A BURNER FOR A L IQUIEFIED PETROLEUM GAS BURNING FLOOD LIGHT COMPRISING A MAIN BODY HAVING A PASSAGEWAY THEREIN FOR CONNECTION TO A CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS AND AIR MAY BE SUPPLIED UNDER PRESSURE, SAID BODY HAVING A TUBULAR PORTION CLOSED AT ITS OUTER END EXTENDING FROM SAID BODY AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID JPASSAGEWAY, SAID BODY HAVING A PORTION AT ITS OUTER END PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS ABOUT SAID TUBULAR PORTION AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY FOR DIRECTING A PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE FROM SAID PASSAGEWAY ABOUT AND IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID TUBULAR PORTION, SAID TUBULAR PORTION HAVING OPENINGS IN THE SIDES THEREOF FOR THE DISCHARGE OF A PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, SAID TUBULAR PORTION HAVING A SHIELD POSITIONED THEREABOUT JOPPOSITE AND SPACED FROM THE PART OF SAID TUBULAR PORTION HAVING SAID OPENINGS THEREIN, SAID SHIELD HAVING A PORTION 